For Immediate Release: September 18, 2018
Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jfarmer@faithinaction.org
Over 20 Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Congregations to Kickoff Voter Engagement Programs
WASHINGTON – Faith in Action, the nation’s largest network of faith-based groups and congregations, today announced a Voter Sabbath Sept. 21 through 23. The multi-faith event includes more than 19 congregations across the country who have committed to devote time during their regular worship to discuss voting and voter turnout this midterm election cycle. The purpose of the Voter Sabbath is to get congregations thinking about how they will support their congregants getting to the polls.
“From the way our immigrant brothers and sisters are treated, to the mass incarceration that is threatening the family unit, every day we witness the painful results of unjust policies and practices,” said Joseph Fleming, Faith in Action’s Director of Catholic Organizing. “Every Election Day is an opportunity to effect change and we are urging everyone affiliated with our network to make plans to turn their family, friends and neighbors out to vote. We are hosting the annual Voter Sabbath event to unite congregations across the country in a weekend of preaching, teaching and organizing in preparation for the Nov. 6 election.”
The weekend of mobilization around voting is part of the network’s Faith Votes program, where Faith in Action organizers and volunteers have pledged to have 1 million, face-to-face conversations with voters this election cycle.
“Whether they are Muslim, Hindu, Christian, or Jewish, congregations affiliated with Faith in Action will use the Voter Sabbath weekend to kick-off their voter engagement work.”
The second annual Voter Sabbath weekend comes just a few days prior to National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 25. For National Voter Registration Day, some groups and congregations affiliated with Faith in Action will launch voter registration drives, with at least one group, the New Georgia Project, launching a 75-county voter registration drive in Georgia and pledging to register 20,000 people to vote on that day.
“Prophetic Resistance Boston, MCAN’s emerging Boston-based organizing coalition of faith communities will use Voter Sabbath Weekend to promote voter turnout, hold candidates accountable for campaign promises, and to continue to grow our internal organizing capacity,” said the Rev. Edwin Daniel Johnson of MCAN. “During the primaries, my parishioners had more than 10,000 conversations and seeing their involvement was deeply moving. I am excited about our voter engagement in preparation for the upcoming election.”
